The present invention relates to devices for filtering particulate matter from the fluid lubricant of an engine, and more particularly concerns the use of magnetic forces in hindering the movement of particulate matter which is magnetically attractive through such filtering devices.
Many magnetic filtering devices have been proposed in the prior art for hindering the movement through an engine lubrication system of particulate matter which is magnetically attractive. Examples of such devices can be found in the following U.S. Letters Patent: U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,963 by Hull et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,648 by Caiozza; U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,990 by Chiang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,129 by Brigman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,871 by McCready; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,779, 4,642,183 and 4,501,660 by Hebert; U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,153 by Sirdavant; U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,044 by Tomita; U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,592 by Taylor; U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,558 by Garritty; U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,435 by Shoemaker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,075 by Krow; U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,019 by Robinson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,320 by Liaw; U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,810 by Sullivan; U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,312 by King; U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,469 by Hayashi; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,145 by Gladden. While these devices may be suitable for a particular purpose to which they address, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that said devices would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention.
Although these and other such devices now in the prior art have attempted to address the problem of metal particulate matter flowing through an engine lubrication system, they have failed to address the need for such devices to be manufacturable at a cost which would allow their affordable availability to the general consuming public. As well, such devices have generally failed to achieve the replaceable-cost efficiencies available to users of the present invention. These characteristics of such prior art devices have prevented a more extensive use of such devices.